Taxil hoax

In 1894, "Leo Taxil" (actually Gabriel Jogand-Pagès) published a fradulent quote, supposedly found in a letter from the leader of the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Masonry, Albert Pike, implying that Freemasons of the 30th Degree of the Scottish rite or higher worshipped "lucifer."

In 1897, "Taxil" admitted that he had forged the letter, but the quote has been used to slander Freemasons to this day.